


Battle Lines Drawn

by Stormlyht



Series: This Town That Loves Me [26]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Internal angst, M/M, Talking, This town loves Derek, stiles not so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 14:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3814471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormlyht/pseuds/Stormlyht
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Derek tries to focus on the work of cleaning the arena for his Alpha Battle he hears Deucalion and Chris talk, not liking anything being said.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Battle Lines Drawn

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Sorry this is so late. I wrote it, didn't like it, then had to reread it to see why I didn't. So it took me longer than usual to write this piece, and get it so I at least didn't hate how things were sounding. I can promise you also, that next week there will be an update! When I finished this section I kind of went right into the next and it'll be up sometime next Friday.
> 
> If there are glaring errors or continuity problems, like always, please point them out so I can fix. Unedited as usual, and enjoy!

“You really want to be here?” Derek asked, raising his eyebrows at Deucalion.

“I have every right to be here. My pack as well. You are here to clean, and we are here to make sure that nothing goes wrong,” Deucalion said. He walked over to a fallen tree and sat down. “Don’t let us disturb you.”

Derek snorted and turned to his beta’s, motioning around the area. “The lines Isaac sees are the lines around the arena. I’m going to start on one side, Isaac on the other, we’re going to draw the circle and all the space in between needs to be cleaned. There is a wooden platform under all this earth.”

“You know,” Deucalion said softly. “Don’t let our presence bother you, feel free to keep training them. The better trained they are, the better for my pack to kill.”

Erica growled and snapped at him and Deucalion chuckled.

“Erica,” Derek said gently, waiting until she turned to him before speaking again. “He’s only trying to rile you up. Don’t let it bother you.”

“He means it!” Erica snapped, but her teeth blunted.

“Of course he does.” Derek shook his head. “Don’t. Let. It. Bother. You.” It was almost impossible for him to take his own advice, but that was better than allowing someone to get under his skin.

Erica turned completely away then and flounced into the center of the area Derek and Isaac would uncover. Derek crouched on the ground and began digging. It had been years, yes, but it shouldn’t be too deeply buried.

“I hope I didn’t miss anything,” a familiar voice said evenly and Derek looked up sharply. What the hell was bringing Chris Argent here?

There were several growls from Deucalion’s side of the area and Derek glanced at them in confusion. They didn’t know why Chris was here any more than he did. That just made it all more confusing.

“Depends,” Derek said as he stood. “What are you here for?”

“I’m the neutral party,” Chris said and Derek felt his heart stutter at the words. He hadn’t wanted to ask Chris, because his presence would make it all feel real. More real. More solid. More frightening.

“You are?” he asked, trying to sound impartial to Chris’ presence.

“Who invited you?” Deucalion asked, voice sharp. He hadn’t been expecting this either, which put him off guard. Good. Something had to work in Derek’s favor.

“Stiles,” Chris said with a nod. “As challenged party, he has that right.”

“Stiles did?” Derek asked with a frown. Why would Stiles ask Chris to stand in? He didn’t even understand what that role meant. Although, to be fair, Chris was exactly the person they needed for the position. Alpha’s often would search for a hunter to do the honors, so that everyone knew the fight would be done honorably. No werewolf would dare do the wrong thing around a hunter. They were human and could enter the arena without any problems to take care of any werewolf who crossed the lines.

“Yes he did,” Chris said as he turned to look right into Derek’s eyes. “So I’m here to act in that capacity.”

Derek nodded at him then. This was real. This was happening. He looked away and glanced at Isaac who was squatting on the ground, hands covered in dirt but not moving an inch. “Did you find the wood?” Derek asked as he crouched down again.

“Yeah,” Isaac said softly.

“Then grab the shovels,” Derek said with a wave of his hand.

“Are we really doing all the work?” Erica asked. “You were the one challenged.”

“I know,” Derek nodded. “So it’s our job to clean the area, to make sure no one has put down any traps for our side. It’s Deucalion’s job to make sure we don’t do the same thing.”

“And it’s my job to make sure everyone plays by the rules,” Chris said. He pulled out a few bags from his pocket. “Plus lay down the circle of mountain ash when you’re all done so none of you can trespass.”

“What are you going to do about the human aspect of Stiles?” Deucalion asked mildly.

“If you hadn’t challenged him too that wouldn’t have been an issue,” Chris said with a smile. Derek saw the coldness of it. Chris was calculating, certain, sharp and all business right now. Derek actually felt a lot better seeing that aspect of Chris right now. “But I’ll be setting up traps to catch or hurt him if he comes anywhere near the area. All so you can play fair in your bloodsports.”

“Oh, I’ve heard you enjoy bloodsports,” Deucalion said to Chris with a smile. “So much you lost your wife to it.”

Derek heard Chris’ jaw clench. “Bad decisions led us to bad outcomes.” There was a pause and Derek looked away after Chris motioned to the area. “I’ve seen my fair share of bad decisions.”

“Are you bringing in your daughter to the mix then? As a learning experience?” Deucalion asked.

“No. She is one of Stiles’ representatives,” Chris said. “As his friend she is allowed that position.”

“I thought for certain that Scott would take that role,” Deucalion said sharply. Derek had a feeling that nothing was going Deucalion’s way, and Derek understood the feeling. He wasn’t sure what Stiles was thinking, but he had thought the same thing Deucalion did. It was so obvious that Stiles had talked to Chris about this battle that it made Derek’s stomach clench. Why couldn’t he have been satisfied with what Derek had told him? Why had he had to go asking a Hunter, of all things, about something that was purely werewolf?

To some extent, Derek almost felt like *he* should be asking Chris for more information. It wasn’t like he had ever been given a run down on how this worked from anyone, and he wasn’t fully certain he trusted his Uncle to tell him everything that was important. There was just this little nagging feeling of pride that refused to allow him to ask.

“Scott is there, of course, as Stiles’ Alpha,” Chris said firmly and Derek felt his heart squeeze painfully. He gasped out a breath and focused on moving the dirt in front of him. Of course he wasn’t Stiles’ Alpha, he knew that, he was aware, but at the same time he hadn’t expected to hear him taking anyone under the mantle of his Alpha. That made this whole thing more complicated. So. Much. More. Complicated.

“I see,” Deucalion said and then he went silent.

“Derek,” Vernon asked softly, stepping close so he could speak and not be overheard. “Derek, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Derek said firmly, his shaking hands belying his word. “Things just got more complicated, that’s all.” He didn’t want to drag Scott into all of this. Not this way, not like… it was cut and dry. Derek would fight Deucalion, he would do his best to not lose because if he did then Deucalion got his pack and Stiles. Simple. Except, with Scott acting as Stiles’ Alpha, if Derek lost, Scott was afforded the opportunity to fight Deucalion for Stiles. If Derek lost, then Scott would lose as well, even if Deucalion was injured from his fight with Derek. Scott wasn’t even an Alpha, not really. This whole thing was blowing up in Derek’s face and he didn’t know how to control things. Not at all.


End file.
